Adams emerges content from Blair meeting

Following his meeting with Tony Blair Today, Gerry Adams emerged from Downing Street after nearly 70 minutes of talks.

Mr Adams said he had had a good meeting with Mr Blair, whom he maintained had consistently ‘‘brought a focus’’ to the peace process.

Mr Adams argued that the recent violence in east Belfast was rooted in problems within the unionist community.

‘‘This is the crisis within unionism manifesting itself in sectarian attacks on vulnerable nationalist communities.’’

Mr Adams argued that the British Government could not absolve itself of the responsibility for managing the process in a more effective manner.

And he said there was nothing to suggest that the IRA had orchestrated the violence.

The meeting came after the city was hit by further violence last night in which a police officer was taken to hospital with facial burns after his vehicle was hit by a petrol bomb.

Shots were fired at police when they moved in to disperse a mob which was torching cars in the loyalist Donegall Pass area.

Troops were brought in and two men arrested for riotous and disorderly behaviour. Police fired a baton round at a petrol bomber.

Mr Blair’s official spokesman said today’s meeting with Sinn Fein should be seen as part of a ‘‘continuum’’ of meetings.

The spokesman said: ‘‘Everybody recognises that at this time in the calendar of Northern Ireland it is historically a testing time of year, but last week’s violence - from both sides - was totally unacceptable and the Prime Minister expects leaders on all sides to do what they can.

‘‘The message from the Prime Minister will be consistent as it has been throughout: that all paramilitarism has to come to an end.’’